Looking to buy RV for fulltime

[GlenStMary]

Our RV purchase experience seems to be exactly what you are experiencing now. We wanted to retire and travel extensively for several years. My wife is looking forward to traveling all through Canada and Alaska especially, as well as every other state in this country. We spent over a year researching just about every RV manufacturer and model before we decided on a Landmark Key Largo. The things that prompted us to buy the Heartland were the apparent high-end build, structural strength, livability, manufacturer/dealer support, price point, resale value, warranty, and the forum support (not necessarily in that order). We pull our RV with a Ford 350 dually and haven't had any serious problems with the towing or the RV itself. We had a couple small issues come up after we took delivery of the unit, but Heartland was great to work with and so was the dealer we took it to (he was not the dealer we purchased it from). I've also had a lot of help from people on this forum and I'm convinced you couldn't possibly find a better group of folks to associate with. I spent many hours on other manufacturers forums, lurking about to see what kind of issues their owners were experiencing and that was one of the factors that helped lead us to purchase the Heartland. Good luck with your decision making and hopefully we'll see you back here participating in this forum as a Heartland member as well as perhaps down the road in Canada or Alaska

 

[Seren]

Seesh, I better stop looking at this forum or else I will quit my job tomorrow, head up to Knoxville, buy a Landmark, and keep on driving ...
You all should be selling Heartlands, since your more persuasive than the salesman at Camping World



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[kowAlski631]

Seesh, I better stop looking at this forum or else I will quit my job tomorrow, head up to Knoxville, buy a Landmark, and keep on driving ...
You all should be selling Heartlands, since your more persuasive than the salesman at Camping World



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Sounds like a great plan to me !! My Board of Directors thought I'd be there when I was 90. They got a surprise.


Paul & Martha

Life's too short. Live so you can say "Remember when" not "I wish I had".

 

[DW_Gray]

As a full-timer with a big heavy Cyclone, my wife will tell you, no, she'll yell at you to get the 22 cubit foot refrigerator. It is no fun full-timing with a small frig and complaining wife.

 

[kakampers]

We are persuasive cause we KNOW Heartland products! We know the good, the bad and the company... salesmen very seldom learn about their product...fact is, few have ever even owned ANY RV....and many of us know the full time lifestyle and what is required in an RV to support that llifestyle! We pass that knowledge onto Heartland and they listen!

The result is an affordable, well built fulltime built and warranted fifth wheel...JMHO! Go for it!!

 

[tcbrady]

thanks Kathy and all who responded here! It's awesome so see such support from actual Heartland product owners - we take great pride in taking care of our customers

We are persuasive cause we KNOW Heartland products! We know the good, the bad and the company... salesmen very seldom learn about their product...fact is, few have ever even owned ANY RV....and many of us know the full time lifestyle and what is required in an RV to support that llifestyle! We pass that knowledge onto Heartland and they listen!

The result is an affordable, well built fulltime built and warranted fifth wheel...JMHO! Go for it!!

 

[kowAlski631]

We are persuasive cause we KNOW Heartland products! We know the good, the bad and the company... salesmen very seldom learn about their product...fact is, few have ever even owned ANY RV....and many of us know the full time lifestyle and what is required in an RV to support that llifestyle! We pass that knowledge onto Heartland and they listen!

The result is an affordable, well built fulltime built and warranted fifth wheel...JMHO! Go for it!!

AMEN!! No matter what RV you get, you may have some problems in the 1st year, but the bottom line is these 5th wheels were made with full-timers in mind. They enable those of us without a traditional house to have a movable home as we explore America.

Martha


Paul & Martha

Life's too short. Live so you can say "Remember when" not "I wish I had".

 

[Bob&Patty]

Seren, Welcome. Here's my 5cts (inflation). The LM is the top of the line. and comes with most of the goodies. A Big Horn is a well made coach (we have had ours 6 years) now. There is a $$ difference between the two as you add options. The MAIN option is tires. If you go with a Big Horn or a Big Country....make sure you get the GY G614 tires (they are standard on a LM). You can also get disc brakes as an option. One thing HL has over the others is, if you are traveling and have a warranty issue and a HL dealer wont help you, because you did not buy it from them. Call HL and they will set you up with someone that will.

BTW, do a search (search box on the portal page), and down load a build sheet for all 3 coach models. You can build your own coach and see what HL says it should sell for. The take 20% off that and make an offer to a dealer. I bet you can get a loaded LM for under 85K. If you are full timing...what difference does it make where you buy it. Try Lakeshore RV's or Butch at RV's For Less.

 

[Seren]

Well, we have tentatively decided to get the Key Largo with all the options from RVs For Less. The only question now is a truck: I am thinking Silverado 3500 2WD, DRW, but may have to go used unless I get the price down. Was going with the F-350, but now leaning towards the Silverado. Once the truck purchased then will be heading up to Knoxville this time next month to pick up our new home and start our new life. Thanks for all the input, helped out a lot. Will keep everyone updated.

 

[jbeletti]

Well, we have tentatively decided to get the Key Largo with all the options from RVs For Less. The only question now is a truck: I am thinking Silverado 3500 2WD, DRW, but may have to go used unless I get the price down. Was going with the F-350, but now leaning towards the Silverado. Once the truck purchased then will be heading up to Knoxville this time next month to pick up our new home and start our new life. Thanks for all the input, helped out a lot. Will keep everyone updated.

Congrats! Did we speak by phone today?

 

[lindaw]

Well, we have tentatively decided to get the Key Largo with all the options from RVs For Less. The only question now is a truck: I am thinking Silverado 3500 2WD, DRW, but may have to go used unless I get the price down. Was going with the F-350, but now leaning towards the Silverado. Once the truck purchased then will be heading up to Knoxville this time next month to pick up our new home and start our new life. Thanks for all the input, helped out a lot. Will keep everyone updated.

Welcome to the club, hope your experience will be as gratifying as the rest of us and as Florida chapter leader hope to see you at rally,s
Lindaw

 

[Seren]

Congrats! Did we speak by phone today?

No, wasn't me


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[kakampers]

Well, we have tentatively decided to get the Key Largo with all the options from RVs For Less. The only question now is a truck: I am thinking Silverado 3500 2WD, DRW, but may have to go used unless I get the price down. Was going with the F-350, but now leaning towards the Silverado. Once the truck purchased then will be heading up to Knoxville this time next month to pick up our new home and start our new life. Thanks for all the input, helped out a lot. Will keep everyone updated.

Great choices!....LOL...But then again we might be biased....welcome and enjoy!

 

[Seren]

Please see my truck question and weigh in - LINK

 

[Seren]

Re: jbeletti's 2014 Landmark Savannah

As a newbie to the RV world and to full-timing (well not yet, but in 5 months) I hope you all don't mind me "highjacking" your informative conversation, but have learned a lot reading these posts. For example, I haven't even thought about doing mods to perfection - Landmarks are already pretty well set-up, but just like a stick-and brick, personalizing them is important especially if you are living in them. Anyway, I have a couple of question if you all don't mind. First, we will be buying either a Grand Canyon or Savannah from RV's for Less next month. We are leaning towards the Grand Canyon for a couple of reasons it is the lighest, shortest (heard there are a lot of sites that don't allow 40'+ RV's, true?), but the last one is interesting, going to the bedroom seems narrow and seeing the shower everytime you go to the bedroom seem strange to me. Is that normal for RV's? Next, why did you choose the Savannah over the other models (Let me guess, it was because of the shower ). Finally, are there any "must do" mods that most people do? We will be getting wash/dryer, 22cf refrig, Yeti, full-timers, dual-pane, theater-seating and a few others, but those are options, not mods. Thanks


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[jbeletti]

Hi seren,

I decided your post was better suited right here in your own Heartland thread

I have to make my reply short as it's time to hop in the truck and move from Texas Hill Country to the Coastal Bend area of TX near Corpus today.

Let me start my series of replies with addressing floor plan / layout. To me, this is the most important thing in choosing an RV. Does the floor plan work for us? With regard to the shower in the hallway, some people are split-bath people. Nancy and I just LOVE the split bath. Many people do not. We're all used to our home bathrooms where everything is in one room. So as we move to an RV, that all-in-one (AIO) bathroom plan seems to make sense in our minds. Nancy and I are not small or short people. We have found the AIO to be a bit confining. As well, they are a one-butt, one-person-at-a-time bathroom. Nancy takes longer to get ready than I do, and this also plays into our desire for a split-bath. In the San Antonio and Savannah floor plans, both split-bath designs, the commode room has a sink in it. Guess who's sink that is? Mine! I have never used the sink/vanity in the bathroom. That's all Nancy's.

So, yeah, we do see the shower each time we walk by and we can look up there and see it from the living room, but the layout is the best for us.

Now, this all said, "most" people still prefer the AIO bath. That's why we make more floor plans with it. And there are a few use cases that really make sense for it. One that comes to mind is that is you frequently travel with guests, having the AIO gives everyone more bathroom privacy whereas the AIO has a shower in the hallway (though you can shut the upper deck off).

Think through how you will use your RV, who will use it with you and what you feel your true needs are. Then select the floor plan that gives you the most of what you want / need.

 

[Seren]

Thanks for moving my post to my own thread (I feel part of the family already - tears coming down my cheek ). Also, thanks for the quick response. RV's for Less just got a Savannah in and will have the Grand Canyon in either this or next week, both with the same options, so we will be getting one of them - just need to decide. We do like the pantry and where the wash/dryer are in the Savannah. Hmmm, just a small decision - our home for hopefully many years.


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[Nabo]

Glad things are working out for you Seren and welcome to the world of RVing. Isn't it fun entering a new chapter in your life. We are going to RVs For Less this Thursday to meet some friends who will be picking up their new Landmark (Key Largo). Let us know when ya'll come up to get your new "condo on wheels" and we will come meet ya'll.

 

[Seren]

Glad things are working out for you Seren and welcome to the world of RVing. Isn't it fun entering a new chapter in your life. We are going to RVs For Less this Thursday to meet some friends who will be picking up their new Landmark (Key Largo). Let us know when ya'll come up to get your new "condo on wheels" and we will come meet ya'll.

Karen said she would work with us since we are coming up from Panama City. Since I teach and our Spring Break is the week of the 23rd, I am planning taking time off and leave the 19th. That way can stay the extra day to get the 5er checked out and then break in our new home by using our 2 free nights at Pigeon Forge and either go to Dolly World or more likely the Grand Ole Opry. Would have waited till when Spring Break starts but my RV loan which I am approved for expires on the 23rd.
As far as a new chapter of life, we preparing our house for sale around the end of March. Our plan is to get rid of most of the junk, storge a little bit of personal items, then having my daughter and her family get what they want, which should not be too much, then do an estate sale. As we start to sift through things, it is amazing realizing how much junk people accumulate in their homes. I am looking forward to living frugal and speanding money on seeing the county.

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[Nabo]

Just let us know and we will come meet ya. Dollywood doesn't open until sometime in March 22nd but there is a lot of other attractions to do like the Lumberjack show, Dixie Stampede or just shop till your heart and wallet drops.